Owners of pets, particularly cats and dogs are well aware of the various problems involved when those pets are transported in a vehicle, particularly the owner's passenger car. The animals tend to wander about the vehicle, sometimes even cavorting, and thereby distracting the driver. Dogs, in particular, seem to find it almost irresistible to look through the car window. Therefore, they will get up on the seat of the car, and in many instances, a small or medium size dog will put its paws up on the back of the seat or the window sill to get a better view. The animals claws then damage the upholstery of the car seat and its back. On the other hand, the pets often rebel against being confined in a cage-like carrier or kennel. It is very difficult to get the pet into the kennel, and even when this is accomplished, the pet often protests in such a noisy manner that the drive can be extremely unpleasant.
A number of devices have been suggested for providing more or less open structures for holding pets in vehicles or elsewhere. In general, these devices do not adequately address all the above problems and/or do not comport with modern ideas concerning safety. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,146 to Allison provides a platform which can be mounted on the back of a car seat so that it juts outwardly from the upper end of the seat back. This certainly provides a surface on which a pet can sit high in the car and look through the window without being supported directly on the upholstery or other interior finishings of the car. However, this device places the pet much too high for the pet's own safety and for proper visibility for the driver. Furthermore, it is a completely open platform from which the pet could easily fall, either hurting itself, or again, distracting or injuring the driver. Because of its very high position in the car, the platform would appear to be practical only for very small dogs. Furthermore, the support on which the platform rests is awkward and space consuming for purposes of transportation and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,683 to Wallace et al discloses a cushion-like protector for a car seat. However, this is essentially a covering only. It does not in any way confine the pet, either physically or psychologically, nor does it provide any substantial increase in the height at which the pet can sit. Furthermore, since the lower horizontal cushion simply rests on and follows the angle of the car seat, it positions the pet at a like angle, which may be uncomfortable, unstable for footing and may contribute to the tendency of the pet to fidget and move about in the car.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,526 and 4,597,359 disclose devices which do actively restrain the animal, and one of which also sits the animal up somewhat higher, so that it can see out the window, but not as high as the platform of the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,146. However, because these devices are so very restraining, they can involve much the same problems as a kennel or cage-type carrier in terms of getting the dog properly strapped in and causing the dog to sit quietly once it is strapped in.